Page 8C-Thursday, September 6, 1979-The Michigan Daily New swim coach inherits wealth o talent, sees title in future By MARK MIHANOVIC Most new coaches aren't as lucky as Bill Farley. A goodly number of them inherit teams which sport a minimal amount of talent. But Farley, who is Michigan's new men's swimming coach, takes over a team which last year compiled a 12-1 dual meet record and finished second in the Big Ten championships. "MY OUTLOOK js good because I know that there's a "really fine team sit- ting here already," said Farley, who took the coaching reins when Gus Stager retired after his 25th season. "There's a good chance in the next few years for us to overtake Indiana. But I don't expect us to win the (Big Ten) title next year. You're talking about 19 years of domination. I don't think a new coach can come in and overshadow 19 years of domination right away. We can give them a run, but we have to have an outstanding recruiting year to even think about it." For one evening last January, the Wolverines did entertain thoughts of hurdling Indiana into Big Ten swim- ming supremacy. With a packed house at Matt Mann Pool cheering incessan- tly, the Blue tankers shook up the Hoosiers and their veteran coach "Doc" Counsilman, with a come-from- behind 58-55 victory. It was Michigan's first dual meet victory over Indiana in 18 years. UNFORTUNATELY for the veteran Stager and his tankers, the dual meet was far less important than last Mar- ch's Big Ten Championships. Indiana outdistanced the Wolverines in that contest, thus sending its entire team to the NCAA's. Despite their second-place conferen- ce meet finish, Michigan managed to qualify several tankers for the national finals. And happily enough, only diving standout Matt Chelich (graduated) will be missing from this year's squad. Chelich won the conference cham- pionships in both the one- and three- meter dives, and his presence assured Michigan of first-place points from both diving events in dual meets. "CHELICH IS going to be tough to replace in a lot of other areas, as well," Farley commented. "He's going to be tough to replace as a leader." Michigan has recruited two heirs to Chelich's throne, however, in Kevin Machemer and Ron Merriott. A tran- sfer from Michigan State, Merriot placed second in the Big Ten meet in 1978 before being forced to sit out last year's meet. Merriott, who will be ineligible to compete for the Wolverines until January, is a former world trampoline champion and finished in the top 16 in the AAU National Diving Champion- ships. DIVING COACH Dick Kimball is op- timistic about Merriott's future in diving. "He's got a lot of class. He's had competition all over the world because of his trampoline performing," he said. Ken Vigiletti and Kerry Menegay, both of whom qualified for the NCAA's last year, are also returning to bolster a fine group of divers. THE SWIMMING corps is in even better shape, with everyone returning. The sprinters are led by standouts Fer- nando Canales, who won (and set records in) five events at the Big Ten meet, and Bob Murray, a national qualifier in the 50-yard freestyle. Sophomore John Spaid and junior Tom Pederson are also nationally-qualifying freestylers. Last year as freshmen, both Tom Er- nsting and Scott Crowder qualified for nationals, Ernsting in the breaststroke and Crowder in the butterfly. Senior Paul Griffith is "Mr. Versatile," swimming in freestyle and medley relays that qualified for the NCAA's. He also fills a void in the team by perfor- ming well in the backstroke events. Farley isn't certain how much his coaching system will differ from Stager's. "I really don't know how the kids have trained," he explained. "I'm anticipating a much different situation (from Princeton where he previously coached) because the kids here are much better swimmers. "I won't be able to know until we get started. I'll come in with certain things in mind, but I'm going to have to be very flexible." Considering the talent Farley is working with, that shouldn't be a dif- ficult chore. ANN ARBOR CYCLERY Get Your ike In Shope for Fall Authorized Dealer of: PE U G E OT Quality Bike Components: Complete Line of Accessories -Racing-Touring-Commuting DEALER MEMBER ANN ARBOR VELO CLUB HEADQUARTERS AND REMEMBER US FOR CROSS CUN RYSKIS Sales and Rentals GRI DDE PICKS Okay, trivia buffs, can you handle these sparkling sports stumpers? Let's see how you come out on three questions. Number One-When Rick Leach signed a contract with the Detroit Tigers in May, what was the REAL reason behind his decision to play professional baseball instead of foot- ball?, Number Two-Former Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes punched out an ABC-TV cameraman during the fourth quarter of his team's 14-6 loss to Michigan in 1977. EXACTLY what motivated "Dr. Stranghayes" to carry out this violent act? If you think that Leach chose baseball because he was more skilled in it than football, and that Hayes punched out ABC's Mike Freedman because he was in the Buckeye coach's way, you're wrong. Very wrong. Here's what actually happened: -Leach, after suffering through a miserable season of forecasting the winners in the Daily's weekly Gridde Picks, stated that, "I no longer have any interest in pumping the pigskin. If I can't master Griddes, I certainly can't figure on outwitting those mighty NFL defenses." -Little did any of the 106,024 fans know that Hayes was headed for the worst single-day showing in Gridde history-1 win in 20 games. When ABC photographer Freedman informed the Buckeye coach of that disheartening fact, Hayes went into his well- publicized rampage. Now, do you want to be degraded and demoralized by your sports-minded cronies, simply because you fail to ven- ture into the somewhat risque niche of prognostication affectionately called Gridde Picks? Or is your coat of mental armor thick enough to withstand the potential pain of collegiate grid predic- tions? To assert your man (or woman)hood, simply drop your picks off at our offices on 420 Maynard by midnight each Friday. The winner(s) will receive a world-famous small one-item Pizza Bob's pizza. Don't be another Rick Leach-he may have run the option to perfection, but he never became a winner in the t REAL GAME. You can. Daily Photo THE BIG QUESTION that must be answered during Michigan's 1979-80 swim season is this: can Matt Chelich (above), the graduated diving sensation and Big Ten champion on the one and three-meter boards, be replaced. New coach Bill Farley (inset) thinks he has some heirs to Chelich's "throne" in freshman Kevin Mackemer and transfer Ron Merriott. Blue success story keep S i 3 i-' By GEOFF LARCOM In the recently formed f Michigan women's sports there's an outrageously pi youngster in the lot, one whi showing its maturity four year which hasn't stopped growing Since coach Stu Isaac too' 1975, the Michigan women's s team has indeed been a prodi ts. They've won four straigh championships, while totally the Michigan record book. In fact, probably the only last year for Isaac's squad ca season-ending AIAW Nation when the tankers finished a c ting 13th, after cracking the t year before. "I WAS DEFINITELY dis with the national meet," sa on growing "Our key people got a little discouraged family of when they didn't place as high as they teams, expected." recocious Yet it will be those same "key' ch began swimmers and divers who will return in rs ago and droves this season making this year's since. outlook considerably bright. k over in The key graduate is freestyler Katy wimming McCully. McCully placed in all short gy of sor- ' freestyle events during the t Big Ten nationals-the 50, 100 and 200, while rewriting gaining All-America recognition in each event. sour note Attempting to make up for the loss of ime in the McCully will be a squad led by divers al meet, Barb Weinstein and Julie Bachman. disappoin- Bachman was national champion at the op ten the one and three meter heights two years ago, while Weinstein placed second in appointed the one meter and fourth in the three lid Isaac. meter dive last year. 1224 Packard 761-2749 HOW TO GET BETTER MILEAGE FROM YOUR CAR... Obey the 55 mph speed limit. 1 O §JwU ----------- Keep your engine tuned. 1 Avoid hot rod starts. ) I- 0 Drive at a steady pace. And when buying, don't forget the fuel economy label is part of the price tag, too. MONIKA SCHEFF (left) and Linda Kendall hurtle off the blocks at Matt Mann Pool. 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